Culture & Tourism news

Seoul Selects Old Galleries and Novels as 2019 Future Heritage

Registration date01/03/2020WriterSMGviews957

Seoul selected 16 tangible and intangible cultural legacies that show the early modern and modern traces of Seoul as the 2019 “Seoul Future Heritage,” including the novel “Tram Sightseeing” written by Ha Geun-chan, which vividly depicts what Seoul looked like in the 1970s when the subway first opened, as well as the galleries that contributed to the popularization of arts.

“Future Heritage” refers to the early modern and modern heritage of Seoul that holds the lives of citizens. In 2012, Seoul announced the “Basic Plan for Transforming Seoul’s Modern Legacy into Future Heritage” and began pursuing continuous discovery and investigation for the preservation and usage of future heritage. As the city selects 16 additional pieces of future heritage, a total of 470 tangible and intangible relics have been selected as Seoul Future Heritage.

Among the selected relics this time, there are the galleries that have contributed to the popularization of arts through the exhibition of artwork and discovery of artists since the time when the public could not easily access the arts, such as Tong-in Gallery, Chosun Gallery, Gallery YEH, and Wellside Gallery.

Three novels, Choi Seo-hae’s “Hunger and Slaughter” (“Jeonasa”), Ha Geun-chan’s “Tram Sightseeing,” and Na Do-hyang’s “Mother,” were also selected as Seoul Future Heritage through the preliminary screening by experts that aimed to excavate literary works with modern Seoul set as their background for the selection of future heritage. These literary works will allow people to remember modern Seoul for years to come.

The selection of Seoul Future Heritage is based on voluntary discovery and preservation by the citizens. For the legacy recommended by citizens and experts, a basic investigation of the present conditions is carried out for the verification of facts and the collection of data, followed by the screening by the Future Heritage Preservation Committee, and the selection is finalized by agreement by the owner.

A Seoul Future Heritage Certificate is issued and a copper plate sign is attached to those pieces selected as “Seoul Future Heritage.” A variety of means are used to advertise the Seoul Future Heritages and promote their values. Starting in 2018, Seoul began implementing practical measures for the preservation of the Future Heritages, such as supporting the repair fees for maintenance and production of tailored PR materials.